Connection of belt  connectors designed as wire hooks to a belt method for producing and connection

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a connection of belt connectors embodied as wire hooks ( 1 ) to one end of a plastic belt ( 16 ), wherein each wire hook has shanks ( 2, 3 ) arranged on both sides of the belt ( 16 ), and furthermore has hook ends ( 5 ) adjoining the shanks ( 2, 3 ), the hook ends ( 5 ) being pressed into the belt ( 16 ), and each wire hook ( 1 ) also has a coupling loop ( 4 ) connecting the two shanks the connection is furthermore to a flat cover element ( 10 ) on both sides of the belt for the hook arrangement, and the cover element extends across the width of the belt and has a carrier material and a coating applied thereto that is on its side facing the belt and that is made of a thermoplastic or an adhesive for attaching the cover element to the belt. 
     With such a connection it is inventively proposed that the belt is embodied as a filtering belt and the applied coating passes at least partially through spaces in the filtering belt. 
     In a method for producing a connection of belt connectors embodied as wire hooks to a belt it is proposed that the wire hooks held in the cover element are pressed into a belt embodied as a filtering belt, then the applied material is heated, and plasticized material of the coating is connected to the filtering belt under pressure.

The invention relates to a connection of belt connectors embodied as wire hooks to one end of a belt. Each wire hook has shanks arranged on both sides of the belt, and furthermore has hook ends adjoining the shanks, the hook ends being pressed into the belt. Each wire hook also has a coupling loop connecting the two shanks, and the connection is furthermore to a flat cover element on both sides of the belt for the hook arrangement. The cover element extends across the width of the belt and has a carrier material and a coating applied thereto that is on its side facing the belt and that is made of a thermoplastic or an adhesive, especially a hot melt adhesive or an elastic adhesive, for attaching the cover element to the belt.

The invention furthermore relates to a method for producing such a connection.

A connection of the type cited in the foregoing is known from WO 2007 025567 A1. The wire hooks are held in a strip-like carrier material made of a textile fabric. One side of the carrier material is coated with an adhesive or provided a thermoplastic. When the connection is made, heat given off via press jaws causes the carrier material and belt to fuse. The cover element covers the wire hooks and the belt end in this area in order to thus prevent wire hooks, especially damaged wire hooks, from having a negative effect on goods conveyed by means of the belt.

Belt connectors embodied as wire hooks and connected to one end of a belt using a cover element that extends across the width of the belt are furthermore known from EP 1 338 825 A1. The belt is for instance embodied as a plastic belt, especially a polyurethane belt. The cover element is embodied as a fabric belt or plastic molded part and is provided with a layer of adhesive, especially a layer of hot glue, or an elastic adhesive. The wire hooks are attached to the belt and the cover element is added preferably in one work step; the cover element is glued to the shanks of the hooks and the belt, especially using heat.

A method for pressing wire hooks into flat fabric comprising plastic is known from DE 36 42 803 A1. The shanks of the wire hooks are heated prior to bending. During bending the plastic of the flat fabric is partially plasticized and the wire hooks are pressed together such that in their final press state the exterior dimension of the shanks is never greater than the thickness of the flat fabric.

DE-PS 732 524 describes belt connectors that are embodied as wire hooks and connected to one end of a belt. The shanks of the wire hooks are embedded in a rubber cover layer of the belt. The belt comprises a fabric core and the rubber coatings. Producing such a connection is very complex because vulcanization is required in order to apply the rubber cover layers.

When joining belts like screen conveyor belts, press conveyor belts, filter conveyor belts, transport conveyor belts, and flat conveyor belts, it is known from DE 100 29 571 A1 to spray the end of the belt in a tool with a free-flowing material that consolidates when cooled. The material creates a permanent connection to the belt in the longitudinal direction of the belt at the given tensile forces. Each half of the belt join is provided with alternating projections and recesses. The projections are provided with aligned channels through which a cotter pin can be passed. Substances used for the free-flowing materials are metals and plastics such as thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics, and condensation resins, especially a polyurethane. Woven, knitted, laid, homogenous, and coated belts made of textiles, metal substances, plastics, and metal fabrics are used. Joining belts in this manner is very complex, and in particular is very time-consuming.

Devices such as for example the device in accordance with EP 0 682 645 B1 are used for dewatering suspensions. These devices have belts that are made of a filtering web. The spaces in the filtering web can be used to dewater the suspension. Such a suspension is used for instance with sludge. Two conveyor belts are arranged relatively close to one another. They press the suspension between them during conveying so that the spaces in the belts are dewatered.

Such devices are also used for instance for extracting fruit and vegetable juices, dewatering draff, and producing algae and herbal extracts. The fluid is drained off by pressing the products between conveyor belts that are made of a filtering web.

With such devices, it is necessary to remove the filter cake after the dewatering has taken place. The filter cake is removed using wipers that contact the rotating belt. Thus, the wipers also contact those areas of the belt in which belt connectors and their covers are located. These areas are then subjected to increased wear, especially when material that has abrasive parts is being conveyed, for instance sand particles.

The object of the present invention is to ensure durable and wear-resistant attachment of the cover element to the belt in a connection of the type cited in the foregoing. The object is furthermore to provide a method that ensures, in a particularly simply manner, the connection of the wire hooks to the belt and the durable and wear-resistant attachment of the cover element to the belt. It should be possible to produce the connection in a short period of time.

The object is attained in a connection of the type cited in the foregoing in that the belt is embodied as a filtering belt and the coating applied thereto passes at least partially through spaces in the filtering belt.

The invention takes advantage of the fact that the belt is embodied as a filtering belt when the belt is embodied for the purpose of performing filtering processes by means of the belt. The belt is for instance provided as a fabric belt with warp and weft threads that form spaces between them. Liquid portions of the product to be filtered can pass through the belt through these spaces. It is not necessary for this liquid to pass through in the area of the belt ends, where the wire hooks are to be connected to the belt. The cover is attached there. Its coating applied to the carrier material deforms during heating and when the cover element is applied such that the spaces in the filtering belt are at least partially passed through. Thus there is a positive-fit connection between the applied coating and the filtering fabric in that the deformed applied coating extends into the spaces in the filtering belt in some areas and thus extends essentially vertical to the surface of the filtering belt for the product to be filtered. The cover is thus extremely well-suited for absorbing forces that act in the direction of tension for the belt. This is because the positive fit between the applied coating and the filtering belt transmits the force in this direction. This arrangement makes a significant contribution to creating the durable and wear-resistant attachment of the cover element to the belt.

The applied coating preferably passes through spaces in the filtering belt on both sides of the belt. Thus it covers the wire hooks in the area of both shanks. It is particularly advantageous when the applied coating is fused in the area of the spaces in the areas of this coating that are arranged above and below the belt, that is, that are arranged on both sides of the belt. In this case, not only is the applied coating deformed on each side of the belt such that it projects into the spaces of the filtering belt. In addition, the areas of the applied coating project into each space of the filtering belt such that when the connection is made, the heat and pressing force that is used on both sides fuse together these areas of the applied coating that project into the space. Thus the areas of the applied coating are joined and this connection is secure after the areas cool. The areas of the cover element that are arranged on both sides of the belt are thus securely connected to one another via the applied coatings via the spaces in the belt.

The belt preferably comprises plastic, metal, or a non-woven material, specifically a felt, especially a felt made of plastic. When creating the belt from plastic it is considered particularly advantageous when it comprises polyester or nylon. Particularly good filtering properties with a very simple composition of the belt result when the belt is a filtering fabric. The latter comprises especially monofilament fibers and/or spun fibers.

The belt, especially the fabric, preferably has a melting point that is in particular significantly higher than the melting point of the applied coating. The melting point of the applied coating is for instance 180° C., while the melting point of the fabric is 220° C. This means that when the applied coating is molten, especially when it is in a paste-like state, the fabric has not reached its melting point. This is particularly important because the belt should be prevented from reaching its melting temperature, which would cause it to deform and remain in this deformed condition after cooling. Deformation is disadvantageous from the perspective of guiding the belt over deflection rollers for the belt. Deformation of the belt furthermore has a negative effect on its tensile properties.

The belt is made in particular from a filtering fabric of monofilament fibers and/or spun fibers. Monofilament fibers are used in one direction, for instance, and multifilament fibers are used in the other direction.

From the perspective of enhancing the resistance of the connection to wear, it is considered particularly advantageous when an additional cover element is connected to the cover element on its side facing away from the belt. This additional cover element reinforces the thickness of the cover stratum that is formed by the two cover elements. As a rule, the cover elements comprise the same material. They have the carrier material and the coating applied thereto. The additional cover element is attached by means of the applied coating of the additional cover element to the carrier material of the cover element that is attached directly to the belt.

The additional cover preferably extends in the longitudinal direction of the belt beyond the end areas of the other cover and thus beyond the cover that covers the belt directly. Because of this configuration, when the belt rotates there is a leading incline of the additional cover element, starting from the belt. This incline means the thickness of the double cover elements does not constitute a step.

With regard to the cover and/or additional cover, it is considered particularly advantageous when their carrier material constitutes a fabric. While in particular the fabric of the belt has a wide mesh for attaining the filtering property, the fabric for the cover and/or the additional cover are in particular fine-meshed. However, this fabric should also have spaces, even if they are small. When the two cover elements are connected, the applied coating for the additional cover element can pass through the spaces in the carrier element of the cover element connected to the belt so that it can create a positive-fit connection to the carrier material for the cover connected to the belt. It may even cause the two applied coatings for the cover elements to connect physically.

In order to prevent plasticization of the carrier material for the cover and/or the additional cover during the plasticization of the two applied coatings, which are especially thermoplastic, the melting point of the carrier materials should be higher than the melting point of the applied coating. The carrier material for the cover and/or the additional cover in particular comprises polyester or nylon. The carrier material for the cover and/or the additional cover preferably constitutes a fabric made of monofilament fibers and/or spun fibers.

The cover element can completely or even only partially cover the shanks of the wire hooks. The cover element and/or the hook arrangement in particular extend across the entire width of the belt. The belt may be quite wide; for instance, it may be up to 3 m wide.

The object is furthermore attained using a method for connecting belt connectors embodied as wire hooks to one end of a belt, wherein each wire hook has shanks that can be arranged on both sides of the belt. Each wire hook also has hook ends that adjoin the shanks and that can be pressed into the belt, and each wire hook has a coupling sleeve that connects the two shanks. The method also connects belt connectors to a flat cover element that is for the hook arrangement, that can be arranged on both sides of the belt, and that extends across the width of the belt. The cover element has a carrier material and a coating that is applied thereto on its side facing the belt and that is made of a thermoplastic or an adhesive, especially a hot melt adhesive or an elastic adhesive, for attaching the cover element to the belt. The method has the following steps:

-   -   The wire hooks held in the cover element are pressed into a belt         embodied as a filtering belt;     -   Then the applied coating is heated and the plasticized material         is connected to the filtering belt under pressure.

In particular, the method produces the connection specified according to the aforesaid solution. This connection presses the wire hooks held in the cover element into the filtering belt. The applied coating is heated and plasticized material from the coating is pressed into the spaces of the filtering belt.

In particular it is provided that after the wire hooks with the cover are pressed in, they are heated in a separate station under relatively low pressure. Then, immediately thereafter, in another station plasticized applied material of the coating is pressed into the spaces of the filtering belt under relatively high pressure and cooled. The plasticization of the applied material of the cover can be attained using different methods, such as for instance friction, irradiation, ultrasound, heating plates, hot air, or the like.

The wire hooks are preferably pressed in at a pressure of 15 to 35 N/mm² and/or the cover element is heated at a pressure of 0.2 to 0.6 N/mm² and/or the plasticized material of the coating is pressed into the spaces at a pressure of 5 to 25 N/mm².

The invention thus proposes a connection of belt connectors embodied as wire hooks to one end of a filtering belt using a cover element and proposes a method for producing the connection, wherein in particular:

-   -   The product of the thickness of the applied material for the         cover and the surface area is approximately equal to (at least)         the volume of the spaces of the filtering belt;     -   The thickness of the applied material for the cover is selected         such that the coating for the top side fuses with the coating         for the bottom side when heat is applied and the connection is         produced;     -   Adequate protection against wear is attained in that a plurality         of layers of fabric that are connected to one another by applied         coatings are arranged on top of one another;     -   Adequate protection against wear is attained by using a         relatively thick fabric having some monofilament fibers;     -   After the connectors with the cover for them have been pressed         in, they are heated under relatively low pressure in a separate         station and immediately thereafter plasticized applied material         for the cover is pressed into the spaces of the filtering belt         under relatively high pressure in another station and cooled.

The applied material is in particular a thermoplastic, and the filtering belt is a fabric belt made of plastic.

Additional features of the invention are depicted in the subordinate claims, the description of the figures, and the figures themselves. It is hereby noted that all individual features and all combinations of individual features are essential to the invention.

The invention is depicted using a plurality of exemplary embodiments without being limited thereto.

FIG. 1 for the first exemplary embodiment of the invention, depicts a side view of an arrangement of wire hooks held by means of a cross wire; the arrangement is used in a cover element, another cover element being connected to the cover element;

FIG. 2 for the second exemplary embodiment of the invention, depicts a side view of an arrangement of wire hooks held by means of a cross wire; the arrangement is used in a cover element;

FIG. 3 for the embodiment according to FIG. 1, depicts a longitudinal section through the arrangement of belt and wire hooks connected thereto and furthermore depicts the shanks of the wire hooks and the cover elements covering the belt;

FIG. 4 depicts a view IV of the arrangement according to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 depicts an apparatus for pressing the wire hooks that are received by the cover element and that are held in the apparatus into a belt end, prior to the pressing process;

FIG. 6 is a depiction according to FIG. 5 of the condition of the wire hooks that are pressed into the belt end and of the cover elements that are linked when the wire hooks are pressed in, with separate heated heating jaws, prior to the heating jaws pressing onto the cover element;

FIG. 7 depicts the method steps for pressing, then heating, then re-pressing.

For the first embodiment, FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 depict an arrangement having a plurality of wire hooks 1. Each wire hook 1 has a long shank 2 and a short shank 3, as well as a coupling loop 4 that connects the two shanks 2 and 3 to one another. The free end of each shank 2 and 3 is embodied as a hook section 5 with a tip 6 that faces the opposing shank. A plurality of wire hooks 1, eight wire hooks 1 in the exemplary embodiment, form a hook arrangement 7, each successive wire hook 1 being rotated 180° relative to the axis 8 shown in FIG. 1.

The lower (relative to the orientation according to FIG. 1) shanks 2 and 3 of the hook arrangement 7 are held in the transition to the coupling loop 4 by means of a cross wire 9. Thus the cross wire 9 positions wire hooks 1 relative to one another in a defined manner. The hook arrangement 7 depicted is used in a plate-shaped cover element 10. The latter has a rectangular main surface, the cross wire 9 being oriented parallel to the longitudinal edges of the cover element 10. The cover element is configured like the cover element according to EP 1 338 825 A1, for instance. Here it is provided with eight parallel slots. Each slot receives one of the wire hooks 1 in the area of the coupling loops 4. Correspondingly, the slots are oriented parallel to the narrow edges of the cover element 10. Each slot is just long enough to receive the wire hook 1 in its area adjacent to the cross wire 9. Fundamentally it is not necessary to have a cross wire 9, especially if the cover element 10 is sufficiently rigid for receiving and positioning the wire hooks 1.

The cover element 10 is arranged symmetrical with respect to the axis 8. The cover element 10 comprises a carrier material 11 and a thermoplastic coating 12 that covers it. The thermoplastic coating is thus employed to connect the cover element 10 to one end of a conveyor belt in a manner to be described in greater detail. The fabric of the carrier material 11 is for instance a fabric that is made of monofilament fibers—warp and weft threads. This carrier material 11 comprises for instance polyester or nylon. The thermoplastic coating 12 is for instance a coating that comprises polyurethane.

The cover element 10 is formed by an additional cover element 13 that has two parts. This additional cover element 13 is the same as the cover element 10 in terms of structure and material pairing. Relative to the axis 8, the additional cover element 13 extends beyond the cover element 10 in the area of the free ends of the cover element 10. The additional element 13 is connected in the area of its thermoplastic coating 12 to the carrier material 11 of the cover element 10. Each section of the additional cover element 13 nearly reaches the coupling loop 4 for that wire hook 1.

The carrier material 11 for each cover element 10 and 13 is woven with a fine mesh so that only small spaces remain between the warp threads 14 and the weft threads 15 of the carrier material 11.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the hook arrangement 7 attached to one end of a conveyor belt 16. The belt is formed by a filtering fabric that comprises polyester or nylon. The warp threads 17 and the weft threads 18 for the filtering fabric of the conveyor belt 16 are woven with a relatively wide mesh in order to assure the function of the filtering fabric. A plurality of spaces 19 are formed between the warp threads 17 and the weft threads 18. These spaces do not have hash marks in the depiction in FIG. 4. They pass through the conveyor belt 16 perpendicular to its plane of conveyance. These spaces 19 anchor the cover element 10 in terms of providing a positive fit connection.

FIG. 3 illustrates the wire hooks 1 connected to the belt end, clarified for one of the wire hooks and the cover elements 10 and 13 covering the wire hooks 1. The thermoplastic coating 12 of the cover element 10 projects into the spaces 19 due to plastic deformation. This is also the case for the areas of the cover element 13 that extend beyond the cover element 10 and that come into contact with the conveyor belt 16. This positive fit between the thermoplastic coating 12 and the conveyor belt 16 in the area of the spaces 19 creates a durable connection between cover element 10 or overlapping area of the cover element 13 and the conveyor belt 16. The cover elements also cover the wire hooks 1, as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The product of the thickness of the thermoplastic material of the cover and the surface area should be approximately equal to, and should be especially at least equal to, the volume of the spaces for the filtering fabric. The thickness of the thermoplastic material in the cover is selected in particular such that the coating fuses the top side of the belt to the coating of the bottom side of the belt when heat is used to produce the connection. This means that the thermoplastic coating 12 from each side of the belt is deformed such that, with regard to the specific space 19, the thermoplastic enters the space from each end thereof and the thermoplastics connect to one another at about half the length of the space 19.

FIG. 2 depicts another embodiment that is distinguished from that according to FIG. 1 in that only the cover element 10 is provided. But the cover element 10 has a double layer of carrier material that forms a unit and that is provided with the thermoplastic coating 12 on one side. This double-layered carrier material 11 is like the carrier element 11 for the first embodiment according to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, that is, it has warp threads 14 and weft threads 15. Thus, in contrast to the embodiment according to FIG. 1, in the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the increased layer thickness is produced by the double layer thickness without a thermoplastic coating 12 arranged between the layers. In addition, there are no overlapping areas of the carrier material, as there are in the embodiment according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method step for attaching the wire hooks 1 to the end of the conveyor belt 16. The hook arrangement 7 is held in an apparatus 20 as it described in EP 1 338 825 A1. Slots 21 in the apparatus receive the wire hooks 1 in the area of the coupling loops 4 and a rod 22 held in the apparatus 20 fixes the hook arrangement 7. Press jaws 24 are arranged symmetrically with the axis 23 of the apparatus. The press jaws 24 can be moved towards the axis 23 by means of power means 25. The wire hooks 1 that are held by means of the cross wire 9 and that pass through the slots in the cover element 10 are inserted into the apparatus 20 and fixed by means of the rod 20. The end of the conveyor belt 16 is inserted between the open shanks 2 and 3 of the wire hooks 1 in the axis 23 until the free end of the conveyor belt 16 contacts the cover element 10 positioned against the apparatus. Then the wire hooks are pressed while cold, and during this pressing process the cover elements 10 and 13 are pre-fixed. Now the situation is that depicted in FIG. 6, with the wire hooks 1 and the conveyor belt 16 connected. While the wire hooks are being pressed in at very high pressure (15 to 35 N/mm²), the subsequent heating process occurs at relatively low pressure (0.2 to 0.6 N/mm²). This heating process takes place in a separate station, that is, not in the press station depicted in FIG. 5. It preferably takes place in a station arranged adjacent to the pressing station, according to FIG. 6, that has an appropriate apparatus 20. This station has heating jaws that can be moved towards the axis 23. The heating jaws 26 are moved with relatively low pressure, starting from the position in FIG. 6, against the cover element 13 on both sides of the conveyor belt 16. The cover elements 13 and 10 are heated until their thermoplastic coatings 12 become paste-like to liquid. Then, as can be seen in FIG. 7, which illustrates the pressing and heating stations according to FIGS. 5 and 6 on the left and in the center, immediately after the heating according to FIG. 6, in another station that is structured similar to the station in FIG. 5, the plasticized thermoplastic material for the cover elements 10 and 13 are pressed into the spaces 19 of the filtering fabric for the conveyor belt 16 by means of pressing jaws 27 under pressure that is relatively high (5 to 25 N/mm²) compared to the heating pressure, but that is much lower than the pressure for pressing the wire hooks in. The thermoplastic coatings 12 are cooled immediately after the pressing, for instance by cooling the pressing jaws. The plasticized thermoplastic material 12 of the cover element 13 penetrates into the relatively small spaces of the carrier material 11 in the area in which the cover element 13 covers the cover element 10.

In the inventive method, the thermoplastic coating 12 is heated only just to its melting point, which is for instance 180° C. This melting point is clearly less than the melting point for the fabric of the conveyor belt 16, which is for instance 220° C. This ensures that the conveyor belt 16 does not deform as well when the thermoplastic coating 12 plasticizes. The connection between thermoplastic coating 12 and conveyor belt 16 is the result of positive fit in the area of the spaces 19, and as plasticization progresses it is the result of the connection of the thermoplastic coating areas on both sides. They penetrate into the same spaces 19 from different ends.

Significantly higher resistance to the belt connection tearing results from this special positive-fit connection, especially of the carrier material 11 and the conveyor belt 16. This is not to mention the connection's long service life and great resistance to wear.

Regardless of the embodiments used to clarify the description of the figures, in which embodiments thermoplastic coatings are provided, an adhesive, in particular a hot-melt adhesive or an elastic adhesive, may be used instead of a thermoplastic. 

1. Connection of belt connectors embodied as wire hooks (1) to one end of a belt (16), wherein each wire hook (1) has shanks (2, 3) arranged on both sides of the belt (16), and furthermore has hook ends (5) adjoining the shanks (2, 3), the hook ends (5) being pressed into the belt (16), and each wire hook (1) also has a coupling loop (4) connecting the two shanks (2, 3), the connection is furthermore to a flat cover element (10) on both sides of the belt (16) for the hook arrangement (7), and the cover element (10) extends across the width of the belt (16) and has a carrier material (11) and a coating (12) applied thereto that is on its side facing the belt (16) and that is made of a thermoplastic or an adhesive, especially a hot melt adhesive or an elastic adhesive, for attaching the cover element (20) to the belt (16), characterized in that the belt (16) is embodied as a filtering belt and the coating (12) applied thereto passes at least partially through spaces (19) in the filtering belt.
 2. Connection in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the belt (16) comprises plastic, metal, or non-woven material (felt).
 3. Connection in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the belt (16) is made of polyester or nylon.
 4. Connection in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the belt (16) is made of a filtering fabric, and the filtering fabric is especially made of monofilament fibers and/or spun fibers.
 5. Connection in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the applied coating (12) on both sides of the belt (16) passes through spaces (19) in the filtering belt, especially the filtering fabric, in particular the applied coating (12) is connected, in particular fuses, in the area of the spaces (19) in the areas of the applied coating (12) that are arranged on both sides of the belt (16).
 6. Connection in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that an additional cover element (13) is connected to the cover element (10) on its side that faces away from the belt (16).
 7. Connection in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the additional cover element (13) extends in the longitudinal direction of the belt (16) across the end areas of the other cover element (13).
 8. Connection in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the carrier material (11) of the cover element (10) and/or of the additional cover element (13) is formed by a fabric that constitutes in particular monofilament fibers and/or spun fibers.
 9. Connection in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the carrier material (11) for the cover element (10) and/or for the additional cover element (13) comprises polyester or nylon.
 10. Connection in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the thermoplastic coating comprises polyurethane.
 11. Method for producing a connection of belt connectors embodied as wire hooks (1) to one end of a belt (16), wherein each wire hook (1) has shanks (2, 3) that can be arranged on both sides of the belt (16) and each wire hook (1) has hook ends (5) that adjoin the shanks (2, 3) and that can be pressed into the belt (16) and each wire hook (1) has a coupling loop (4) that connects the two shanks (2, 3), and the method is furthermore for producing a connection of belt connectors to a flat cover element (10) that is for the hook arrangement (7), that can be arranged on both sides of the belt (16), and that extends across the width of the belt (16), wherein the cover element (10) has a carrier material (11) and a coating (12) that is applied thereto on its side facing the belt (16) and that is made of a thermoplastic or an adhesive, especially a hot melt adhesive or an elastic adhesive, for attaching the cover element (20) to the belt (16), especially a method for producing a connection in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the wire hooks (10) held in the cover element (10) are pressed into a belt (16) embodied as a filtering belt, then the applied coating (12) is heated and plasticized material from the coating (12) is connected to the filtering belt (16) under pressure.
 12. Method in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that after the wire hooks (1) have been pressed into the filtering belt (16) and the applied coating (12) has then been heated, the plasticized material of the coating (12) is pressed into spaces (19) in the filtering belt (16) under pressure.
 13. Method in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that after the wire hooks (1) have been pressed with the cover element (10), the cover element (10) is heated under relatively low pressure in a separate station and immediately thereafter in another station under relatively high pressure plasticized material of the coating (12) is connected to the filtering belt (16) and cooled.
 14. Method in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that the wire hooks are pressed in at a pressure of 15 to 35 N/mm² and/or the cover element is heated at a pressure of 0.2 to 0.6 N/mm² and/or the plasticized material of the coating is pressed for connecting to the filtering belt (16), and is especially pressed into the spaces at a pressure of 5 to 25 N/mm².
 15. Method in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that the plasticization of the thermoplastic material occurs using friction, irradiation, ultrasound, heating plates, hot air, or the like.
 16. Method in accordance with any of claims 11 through 15, characterized in that the applied coating is heated to at least the melting temperature of the coating, the melting temperature being lower than the melting temperature of the filtering belt. 